REWIRE YOUR FOOD BRAIN PROGRAM

​MINDFUL EATING

Mindful eating is a simple but incredibly powerful route to transform your relationship with food and eating.​Even though eating engages many of our senses, we can often do it without thinking because it's become automatic behaviour. It's also common to eat whilst doing other things - walking around, working, driving, watching TV, talking, reading, on the phone etc. In some countries, such as Japan, eating "on the move" this is very much frowned upon. In France it's common for workers to take a long lunch break and go to a restaurant to eat.

When we don't take time for meals and when we stop paying attention to the food and how it tastes, it can be easy to have eaten without even realising it. You look down and the food is gone!

THE CEPHALIC PHASE DIGESTIVE RESPONSENot only can this mean that we miss out on some of the pleasure of eating, but it can also result in our body not registering the fact that we have eaten, which can then lead you to either over eat or find yourself a short time later looking for more food because your brain “missed a meal”.

This is connected to something called the Cephalic Phase Digestive Response which relates to the taste, pleasure, aroma, satisfaction, and the visual stimulation of eating and food.

Can you recall a time when you saw your favourite food and your mouth started watering or stomach began churning? That’s the Cephalic Phase Digestive Response. In many ways, digestion begins in the brain as it's stimulated by noticing food, smelling it and imagining tasting it.

Just imagining food (not even actually eating it) can stimulate a physical response - the secretion of saliva, gastric acids and digestive enzymes - all ways in which the body prepares itself for the arrival of food. Your thoughts alone can kick start your metabolism into action and so the truth is that awareness = metabolism and, on the flip-side, lack of awareness = a lack of metabolism.

If you mindlessly bolt your food then not only will you digest it poorly but when you eat too fast or fail to notice your food, your brain interprets this missed experience as hunger and so you find yourself eating more (than you need to).If you don't pay attention to the food you're eating then you'll fail to satisfy your Cephalic Phase Digestive Response requirement, resulting in overeating and a continued desire for food.

DEVELOPING AWARENESSMany people think they have an overeating issue or a lack of willpower problem when in fact they’re simply eating mindlessly and without enough awareness.

When you pay attention to what you eat then you can become aware of what you're doing, allows the opportunity to taste and appreciate your food and as a result feel more satiated. For example if you eat chocolate more mindfully (by paying attention to the taste and flavour) you'll find you feel more satisfied from smaller amounts and more likely to eat less. In addition, mindful eating helps you slow down and so creates space in which to pause and consider your options AND the consequence of your food choices.

Notice how you are physically when you eat. Do you tend to eat standing up? If you're sitting down do you often lean forward into the food, rushing things. Try this: when you're eating, what does it feel like if you sit back in your chair and take a deep breath. Pause. Relax. Slow down. Are you even tasting the food?

HOW TO EAT MINDFULLYTo practice mindful eating do the following:

1. Slow DownSlowing down when you eat has so many benefits. By chewing properly and eating a meal more slowly (e.g. by putting down your knife/spoon between bites) you'll digest and absorb your food better. Slowing down also creates space in which you then have the opportunity to make a different decision over what you're doing/eating. Slowing down also means you'll be able to notice what's going on as you're eating. For example, you may notice that you take a deep breath or sigh at some point during a meal/when eating. This is a sign that you may have eaten enough and can stop.

2. Sit DownSitting down, even if it's only for 5 or 10 minutes, really helps you to focus on what you're eating as well let alone the physical benefits of your body directing blood and energy centrally to your digestive system, as opposed to the extremities of your legs and arms if you're moving around while eating.

The act of sitting down can also be a cue to stop what you're doing and pay attention to your food. The practice of saying grace (which is rarely done these days) is another way of drawing a distinction between work/doing and eating/mealtime. I'm not saying you need to start saying grace but even just a moment to pause or take a breath before you eat at each meal really helps to focus your attention.

3. Savour It ​Savouring is about appreciating the smell, taste and flavours of what you're eating. If you know the certain foods are super high in calories or sugar but you still want to have them, then make it worth it! By that I mean, buy the best quality you can afford and savour it. You'll find by doing so you won't feel deprived and you' won't need as much of it in order to feel satisfied. Besides how much is enough for you to feel like you've ticked that box or hit the spot?

Notice as well, is there a point when you're eating or drinking where actually, if you think about it, you're no longer tasting the food or the drink? It's just become texture or sensation. That's a real sign from your body that you're eating (or drinking) more than you need.

CONSCIOUS CHOICES

Part of getting rid of the diet mentality and eating in a normal, balanced way is to give yourself true choice in what you eat.

​And when you know that you’re genuinely free to eat anything you want to, you can enjoy control over what you then choose to eat.

Healthy eating is also about appreciating that different choices produce different outcomes - recognising the effect of your food choices on how you feel and look, which we cover more in Reframing Food section.

YOU ARE IN CONTROLThe fact is that you’re actually in control of what you eat the majority of the time. There are relatively few times in any given day, week or month where you don’t have choice or control over what you’re eating. Of course, ultimately only you can choose what food or drink you out in your mouth.So many people end up being are passive about their health, hoping for a pill or quick fix will do the work for them. But passivity is not going to benefit you and it is you, and only you, who are responsible for what you choose to eat and drink.

CHOICE IS CONSTANTChoice is not a fixed state. It’s not something you do once and then that’s it. Choice is constant which is refreshing to know as it means there’s always an opportunity to make a different choice. So the next meal or the next snack provides a brand new “choice point”. Like forks in the road (excuse the pun!), there’s always the opportunity to make a different choice – one that either moves you further towards your health goals, or that moves you further away.

Just because you ate something “bad” this morning does not dictate that the next meal or snack need be “bad” too. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow or Monday in order to “start over”. Every meal and snack offers you that opportunity.

There will also never be a “perfect time” to become healthy, so don't hang around waiting for it. There’s hardly ever going to be a clear run of weeks where you can focus on healthy eating and nothing else. Life is going to happen, things will come up (planned or unplanned). I can't tell you the number of clients who I've worked with over several months and the most extraordinary life events have happened to them in that time.

I always welcome these challenges as they reflect real life and everything that we have to deal with. If you can weather the storm and successfully sustain healthy eating through these difficult times, then you can sustain it through anything. Sometimes life is such as that need to "dial down" your choices but that's fine too. Dialling down and dialling up is a much more effective approach to sustaining healthy eating than dieting or what most people do whereby their eating is like a switch that's either "on" or "off" (and more often off than on!)

What we're creating within this program is a baseline way of eating that’s healthy so that you can navigate the bumpy roads of life without getting completely thrown off track.

THE POWER OF SEMANTICSThe minute you say things such as:“I can’t eat that”“I mustn’t have it”“I’m not allowed it”“I shouldn’t eat it”

Then you’re putting yourself in the mindset of deprivation and it’s likely you’ll think about and want those foods even more.

By making a choice, you’re not using willpower to fight desire. Instead you’re using a desire for an outcome that will benefit you that is stronger than your wish to eat the doughnut . When you don’t eat something you crave or fancy then that is still a positive choice you’re making.

HOW HARD IS IT TO BE A VEGETARIAN?A vegetarian doesn’t wake up every morning and worry about how they’ll get through the day without eating meat. They don’t feel deprived on a vegetarian diet. They don’t have to use willpower to not buy steak or not eat chicken. They’ve made a conscious decision to eat a certain way. They don’t find it hard to stick to – it’s just who they are and what they do.

The same thing applies to those who choose not to eat certain foods because of religious reasons. They’ve don’t find it hard to not eat those foods – it’s just what they do.

I know many people who have food poisoning from a certain food and now they just can’t eat it. They associate that food with being unwell or feeling sick, and so it becomes very easy to say “no” when offered that food. It’s the same when it comes to eating healthily.

You make a conscious decision to eat a certain way and, in line with what we’re already talked about around self image, you integrate is as part who you are and what you do. As with re-framing of food, when you create negative associations with unhealthy food choices then, when given the choice, it becomes much easier to choose an alternative or to skip it altogether.

DIETING VS. CHOOSING WHAT TO EATLimiting certain foods or eating selectively is not the same as going on a diet. You can still eat plenty of great tasting food and choose to eat anything you want to. You’re simply choosing certain foods in order to feel a certain way and that will improve other areas of your life.

Some might say “but if I’m being selective about what I choose to eat then surely that’s restrictive”. But isn’t it more restrictive if you don’t have any energy, if you don’t feel comfortable in your body. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, if you feel controlled by diet rules or spend huge chunks of your life obsessing about what you should or shouldn’t be eating.

NOTHING COMES WITH ONLY BENEFITSYou have to make a choice: you can either have a diet that is slightly restrictive and a life that isn’t; or you can have an unrestricted diet and eat whatever you want whenever you want and a life that is restricted because you’re tired and overweight.

Limiting certain foods is only slightly restrictive whereas being overweight is restrictive all of the time. Putting some restrictions on what you eat will not take anything away from you; it’s actually going to give you so much more back.And it’s a virtuous cycle – the healthier you eat the better you will feel and the more motivated you will be to eat healthily. So start with the next thing you eat. One meal or one snack at a time.

The majority of the time you have free choice over what you eat and even a poor choice is still a decision that you’ve made so own that and own the consequences of that choice. See poor food choices as an opportunity to glean feedback on how it made you feel and what you may or may not choose to do differently next time.

The most important thing to do is to begin. Begin with the next thing you decide to eat. And it is you who decides and makes that choice.

APPETITE & HUNGER

If your brain thinks you’re starving it will eventually wear you down. It doesn’t matter how much willpower you think you have or how strong your resolve. It’s critical to give your brain the cues it needs to know that you’re not starving.

MANAGING YOUR APPETITEThe easiest way to do this is to manage your appetite by choosing foods that are nutrient dense with moderate calories that send a strong satiety signal to your brain. These will also keep your blood sugar levels stabilised which will result in more energy, a more natural hunger that builds slowly, and appetite that's regulated, so you don't feel hungry between meals and have less need to snack.

Foods that that do this well tend to contain protein and/or fibre take longer to digest and keep you fuller for longer. If the food contains some level of healthy fats and/or salt then this will increase the palatability making you feel satisfied which allows you to draw a line under the meal or snack and move on. Lack of palatability leaves you feeling unsatisfied and continuing to look for more food.

Real foods that are in their natural state tend to tick these boxes: eggs, nuts, fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, yoghurt, wholegrains. Sugary foods and foods based on white flour tend to be higher in calories and low in fibre so are less satisfying or filling and, being highly rewarding, are easier to overeat.

IDENTIFYING HUNGERIf you've spent years dieting, binge eating or overeating then it's very common to have lost touch with what it feels like to be hungry. Many of my clients tell me they can't remember the last time they felt physically hungry!

You may also not realise that there is more than one type of hunger. Hunger is usually either:

1. Physical (also known as stomach hunger)​2. Emotional (also known as head, hedonic or mouth hunger)

Becoming aware of which type of hunger you're experiencing will create a huge shift in helping you stop overeating or engaging in any kind of unnecessary eating.

It's easy to eat for reasons other than hunger - for example maybe you eat "because it's lunchtime" or because a friend has offered you food, or simply because your tired, stressed, anxious, bored, procrastinating and so on.If you're physically hungry you're more likely to choose healthier, nutritious foods. Whereas when you're emotionally hungry you'll probably seek out sugary, hyper-palatable foods.

It's not always easy to know whether your hunger is emotional or physical but when you understand the differences and practice awareness of these signals, then you'll be able to identify which type of hunger it is and respond accordingly. So how do you become aware of whether it's physical hunger or emotional hunger?

Here's a really simple three step process to help you:

1. When you feel like you want to eat, take a few seconds to scan/tune into your body

2. Without giving it too much thought, instinctively place your hand on the part of your body that needs attention. Does your hand go to your mouth/jaw that's maybe feeling tense or stressed? Or does it go to your brain that's maybe feeling tired or restless? Or does your hand go to your stomach because it's rumbling or feels hollow?

3. If your hand rested on your stomach, mindfully choose something nourishing to eat. If your hand is not on your stomach then you're probably not physically hungry so, instead of eating, aim to satisfy the part of your body that your hand rests on. For example, if your jaw is tense keep your mouth busy - maybe chew some gum, drink a glass of water or have a cup of tea; if your brain is tired take a short break from what you're doing.

Having awareness of whether you're experiencing physical hunger or emotional hunger is incredibly empowering and allows you to feel more in control of your body and how you respond.

TAKE ACTIONCLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE to help you develop awareness of physical (stomach) hunger versus emotional (head/mouth) hunger.​Over the next few days, when you go to eat, take a few seconds to check in with your body and ask yourself: "Is this stomach hunger or head hunger?"

If it's head hunger then you know you don't need to eat!​

FOOD ENVIRONMENT

A healthy food environment is one that effortlessly guides you in the directon of making healthy food choices.​Given that we’re wired to eat food when it’s available, a food environment that contains a lot of food cues is going to make it harder not to eat unnecessarily. We are often surrounded by food cues – ads on the TV, advertising on bill boards, shops, cafes, food trolley on the train, cakes in the office, other people eating.

ASSESS YOUR FOOD ENVIRONMENTOne of the first things to do is to get rid of all the tempting, sugary or salty, hyper-palatble foods that are in your house and limit your exposure as much as possible within your work environment, particularly those that are easily visible of counters, desks or tables. When you take away the visibility of these foods you’ll be less likely to crave them. As the saying goes: Out of sight, out of mind.

Reduce your exposure to food cues in general as it’s also possible to overeat on healthy foods too, particularly on snack foods or picking at foods when you’re making the kids’ tea or cooking the evening meal. You then risk sitting down to a meal not even hungry but you eat it anyway because it’s dinnertime and, well, you’ve made it now so it would be a waste not to eat it! It’s situations like this where it’s very easy to overeat or take in unnecessary calories.​Creating more barriers can also prevent you from overeating. For example, consider a bag of shelled vs. unshelled pistachio nuts – it’s much easier to overeat the shelled nuts as you can just take handfuls and eat them all at once.

WHAT’S YOUR KRYPTONITE?Each of us knows what foods we personally find hard to resist. Like kryptonite to superman, these foods make us weak to temptation and once we get started we find it hard to stop or not to overeat them.

Although the ultimate goal is to be able to be around these foods (as this is part of living in the modern world) without feeling like we need to eat them, you might find it helpful at least initially to keep your kryptonite foods out of your immediate environment.

If you live with others ask yourself to what level do you need to have unhealthy foods in stock? Can these foods be purchased on a need-to-have basis instead? Are there alternatives you can buy that won’t be as tempting to you?

Leaving food out also doesn’t help. As humans we have an in-built radar to seek out food, so if you leave biscuits out on the side in the kitchen then you’ll clock them every time you go into the room. Being constantly reminded of their existence will invariably bring them to mind. Put tempting foods away in the cupboard, out of sight or at least not within eye-line. The marketing industry know the power of putting foods in your sight-line and supermarkets will stock the products they most want you to buy at eye-level.

Tempting foods in your personal environment are powerful drivers for overeating due to their impact on the brain. By reducing your exposure to food cues you’ll make it much easier to make healthy food choices.